Mouse and rat trap



E. G. SPIETH.

MOUSE AND RAT TRAP. v

APPLICATION FILED NOV. a, 192i.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

UNITED STATES EDWARD G. SIPIETH, OF AMHERST, NEBRASKA.

MOUSE AND RAT TRAP.

Application filed November 8, 1921. Serial No. 513,629.

T n all w 720m it may concern:

Be it known that EDWARD G. SPIETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amherst, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, has inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Mouse and Rat Traps, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings;

The invention relates to rat traps, andhas for its object to provide a device of this character comprising a receptacle in which water may be placed and a removable cover for said receptacle, said cover'bein'g provided with a tiltable centrally pivoted and counterweighted member which tilts under the weight of ananimal, thereby allowing the animal to drop into the water within the receptacle and the tiltable member returned to normal horizontal position under the influence of a weight.

A further object is to provide means whereby the weight may be adjusted closer to the pivotal point of the tiltable member, or away from the pi'votable'point, thereby varying the weight necessary to tilt the tiltable member.

A further object is to provide a T-shaped member having its horizontal arm secured to the under side of the tiltable member by means of struck out tongues engaging over flattened portions thereof, the ends of said horizontal arm being pivotally mounted in bearings formed by struck down portions adjacent the opening in the-receptacle cover.

A further object is to provide a centrally disposed bait holding member carried by the tiltable member. Also to provide, the marginal. edge of the-opening in the can cover and the marginal edge of the tiltable member with upwardly extending stiffening flanges thereby allowing the device to be formed from spring material.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spiritof the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trap.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View through the trap taken ure 1. I Figure 3 is a top on 'lineQ-Q of Fig plan view of the trap.

. Figure 4c is a bottom perspective view of' the tiltable platform. J

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the upper end of the trap, showing a modified form. of tiltable platform and trippingmeans therefor.

Referring to-the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body of the trap into which water 2 is placed, into which water the animal drops and is drowned. The body 1 of the trap is'provided with a removable cover 3 which is preferably flanged as shown and which may be removed for cleaning out the body of the trap. The cover 3 is provided .with a centrally disposed elongated rectangular shaped opening 4 L, which is formed by stamping out the central portionthereof and during the operation forming, an upwardly extending reinforcing flange 5,

thereby providing means for reinforcing the edgeof the opening- 1 and at the same time allowing the cover to be formed from a light material. Disposed within the opening 4 is a tiltable platform 6, which platform is formed from the piece of material stamped from the cover 3 when the opening 4 is formed, said tiltable platform 6:also being provided with a marginal upstanding reinforcing rib 7 which ribreinforces the tiltable platform and at the same timeforms means whereby meal or other materialwhich may be deposited on the platform will be prevented from sliding off the platform during a tilting operation. The tiltable platform 6 at ajpoint substantially centrally the'reofis provided with a bait clamp 8, in

which bait may be held for attracting the animal onto the tiltable platform 6 where its weight will tilt the platform and the animal will drop through the opening 4- into the water 2.

Secured to the under side of the tiltable platform 6 by means of struck out tongues 9 which pass over flattened portions 10 of a horizontally disposed rod 11 is a counterweighting device 12, which device comprises a vertically disposed threaded rod 13 on which is threaded a weight 14. The ends 15 of the horizontally disposed rod 11 are mounted in bearings on the cover 3, which bearings are formed by downwardly struck integral loops 16 which may be formed" at the same time the opening; 4 is formed in the eovef 3; It will be seen that by adjusting the weight 14 upwardly or downwardly the amount of weight necessary to tilt the tiltable latform 6' may be varied and that by providing the tongues 9 and flattened portions 10, that the rod 11 will be prevented from rotation during the. tilting operation and consequently the threaded are 13 and" i'ts"weight will-be movedou'twardly until the animal drops through the opening 4, atwhich' time the weight 14 will return the"ti'ltable platform to normal horizontal position.

It will be" seenthat the opening i,- the stifi'eni'ng rib and the struck down port'itn's l 'may be formed by a single'operation of a die," auditso desi ed'the tiltable platform aiild the tohguesf 9 formed-in the-same peia't -eaz hewex ei i't isi-tobe understood operations desired. H

Referring Fig re the ti1tab1e1 platform 6' isfladaptdj to native downwardly in the direction of the arrow a and' upwardly in the direction of tliearro'w b at the other end during a rat trap ing operation: In this form a bblithdol: 17' is provided, which Hook is pivoted at s and provided with a downwardly extending arm 19 which extends" th'ro1i'gh' a slot 20 in the cover 3 and is provided witli' fingers 21 between which are; free edge of; the platform 6" is received and ormally I held by means" of a that theflsiiii maybe formed in as many the-tiltable' platform 6 aspsth bait carried by the bait hook I the arm moves outwardly thereby releasing the free edge of the tiltzible l'atfoi ni 6 and; allowmg the same to mo'ye upwardly under the i'fifluen'ce r the weight er the animal; Aft- 'fjthe" releasing optimum the arm 19 is again sprung 'inwardly by the leaf spring 22,-and after" the animal has passed through the cover opening 4' i nto thebody r Of-tlie receptacle the platform is again returned fiO iiOfIHSQl Horizontal position-'by means of theweight 23' and the free end of the" tiltadrowned with the same bait and in such a manner they will not frighten away other mice.- a v i The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is 1. Ananimal trap comprising a receptaole having a removable cover,- a tiltable platform horizontally disposed in an opening of the cover, a T-shaped member=dis posed beneath said platform, the horizontal portion of said. T-shaped*member being provided with flattening portions, integral tongues struck: outfrom the platform and engaging over the flattened portions" of the horizontal portion of the T-shaped memher, the ends of the horizontal portions of the T-shaped member-extending beyond the sides of the opening in the cover and having bearings 'in struck down loops carried by the cover and: an adjustable counterweight threaded on the vertical-portion" of the T- shapd member.

2. The combination with a-tilta'ble plat-.

form of a trap, said tiltable platform being mounted inan opening of a receptacle, of a Tshaped' member having its horizontal portion'secured tothe under side of the platform, the-endsvof the: horizontal portion of the T-snape-d member having bearings adjacent the sides ofthe platform,

and a counterweight oarried'by the vertical portionof the T-shapedvmemben In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, s

' EDWARD SPIETH; 

